Virtual Meetings for Free!

Economy 2.0

Ever wish you had the same tools that large corporations utilize for virtual meetings? Your wait has ended thanks to Zoom.Us. This startup company whose principals herald from both Webex and CISCO allow up to 15 people to use their virtual meeting tool at no charge.

I've thoroughly tested the service, and am most impressed. It even allows one to include iOS devices in your meeting! In addition, one can accomplish the normal tasks such as screen sharing, and chat. If desired, one can also watch live video of each participant. Zoom.Us does require your computer to have a microphone (uses VOIP) and an optional webcam. Here are a few screenshots from the setup process, which was very easy. (obtain an account)

Click upon any image to view at full size.

Configure Settings 

 
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Meet Now!


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Invite Someone to an Instant Meeting!


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Help write my next chapter! Leaving Honeywell after 28 Years.

Uncategorized

All great things must come to an end, and my career at Honeywell has been fantastic! However, after 28 years in various technology roles, I have decided to retire early from Honeywell at the relatively young age of 57 and discover new horizons. My last day at Honeywell will be Friday, April 26th. Thus, I ask all of you … my friends, social connections and web site readers to help me write the next chapter in life.

Given Honeywell’s generosity over the years, and my frugality, money is NOT the driving factor in this research. For instance, in the short term, I plan upon helping a number of charitable organizations with their web development and collaboration efforts. Other than covering my direct expenses, my work will be unpaid and is a donation.

Before making any longer term decisions, I plan to rectify a mistake I made years ago upon college graduation. Within 2 days of obtaining my degree from Dartmouth College I started my work career, and only once over the intervening years did I take two consecutive weeks of vacation. By contrast upon that June day in 1978, two college buddies delayed their entry into the “real world”, purchased an old car and saw America. Over the next few months they would surface in unexpected places as they worked their way across the USA with no particular destination in mind. Their main hope was that the old car would make it to the West Coast. It did!

I don’t intend to make the same error twice. No matter what the next chapter may hold, the next few pages will read “epic bike” ride with my wife. After my last day at work, the first steps will be to start training with Molly in preparation for the Great Gaspé Tour! … a 2,000 mile bicycle trip through the Maine, New Brunswick, Quebec and New Hampshire. (Wikipedia: Gaspé Peninsula) (Learn more about my bike touring plans)

Watch out, North America! (post continued below)

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After this ride, the next chapter begins. Help me define how this book might read. Should I continue web development project work for charities? use my experience for a start up? work as a project manager for a consulting firm while taking liberal amounts of time off between assignments to satisfy both my wanderlust and charitable urges? I don’t know the answer to these questions, but the search will both interesting and fun. All I do know is that a new fabulous journey awaits me. (learn about my building schools and dorms in rural China | Video or Project Background)

Over my Honeywell career I’ve had the good fortune to be the lead person on many ground breaking exciting technology projects. Most of these services were ideas I proposed and introduced to Honeywell. While some of these items may not seem advanced in the year 2013, most were trend setting ideas in their own time.

For obvious reasons of confidentiality, I cannot link my Honeywell work. However, over the years I have used NorthStarNerd.Org as my personal R&D platform. When possible I’ve linked related blog posts from the past. Here are just a few of the projects I’ve led.

Please help me discover the next chapter. I can be reached via email: RichardHoeg@GMail.Com or Google Voice: 218-461-9105. You may also wish to view my LinkedIn Profile: Rich Hoeg.


Next-chapter

Flintlocks and Gun Control

Northern Life

I just sent emails requesting action on gun control to President Obama, my two senators, my representative and governor.  Even though I hunt, I recognize that we do NOT need the kind of guns used in this week's murders in Connecticut. I can not imagine a deer standing still for 60 seconds while I shoot off 30 rounds.

While the founding fathers guaranteed the right to bear arms, and that right should be protected, the guns used in 1776 were flintlocks which required minutes to reload and shoot a single shot. Our founders never envisioned the types of weapons now available.

My pastor made this comment, stop selling high volume ammo clips to the public and part of the problem will eventually solve itself. In this way, I need not take on the fight of what is, or is not a semi-automatic assault weapon. I recognize that a black market will always exist, and that some people will be able to get around such a ban, but this would definitely help the problem.

Please contact your elected representatives within the next 24 hours and ask them to take action on gun control by banning large ammunition clips / magazines. It's easy to send a message when you use their web sites. The entire process took me less than 15 minutes. Thank you.

Once again, let me be clear that I support a US citizen's right to own guns such as shotguns and 22 caliber hunting rifles, but we also needed intelligent gun control laws. Here is an earlier post which demonstrates my support for hunting: Pheasant, not just for breakfast anymore!

Post Update on January 8, 2013: Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, have started up a new organization, Americans for Responsible Solutions, which will advocate for the passage of intelligent gun control laws in the USA. Both individuals are gun owners, and supporters of the US 2nd Amendment.

I just donated. Please note that this new organization is a PAC, and not a charity. Your contribution is NOT tax deductible.

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Here is a demonstration of what was required to shoot a Brown Bess Flintlock Musket at the time of the Revolutionary War. If you want to see the actual loading and firing, skip forward to the 4:30 minute point in the video.

The Locking Mailbox: Low Tech Security With a High Tech Effect

Uncategorized

Over the years many friends who know I'm a techie / nerd have asked or commented:

  • Aren't you concerned with the safety of online shopping? Someone could steal your credit card or account numbers. Using all these online services are dangerous. 

While it is true that someone online could steal your credit card or account number, this kind of crime requires an "intelligent crook"; it amazes me how few of my friends take practical easy "low tech security" steps which will yield "high tech results".

Let's take the common mailbox. How many of you have locking mailboxes? An online thief needs to have advanced software skills to steal your identity. Your "common everyday thief" only needs the ability to open your mailbox and steal your identity. Your mail is a wealth of bank statements, credit card bills, and utility invoices. By opening your mailbox, I could have all this information within seconds. The intelligence required to acquire this data is almost nill.

Here is my mailbox. The mail delivery person puts my correspondence into a slot. The mail then slides down into a locked area. In addition, if I'm out of town, it is impossible to know that fact by checking my mail. Thus, do you practice low tech security? You should!

Here are a few photos of the NorthStar Nerd's mailbox! There is even a video about my mailbox. I just hope the guy in the video never shows up my neighborhood with his baseball bat! Here is a link to the mailbox reviewed in my post, Mailboss.

Click upon any image to view at full size.

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Your Smartphone is Part of a Sensor Array

Android | iPad | Kindle Fire

Have you ever really stopped to wonder what kind of data your smartphone (Android or iOS) device collects? Although you may use your phone as a communications device, many of us think of your phone as an incredible distributed sensor array. If one can combine that data with demographic and purchasing trend information the possibilities are endless. After reading this post and viewing the screenshots you will better understand why Amazon is willing to sell their Kindles at cost, and Apple, Google and Microsoft view it as imperative to be a big player in the mobile market through both phones and tablets. Data represents big money.

If you're interested in reading a more in depth study of the sensors in your mobile phone, read this post from the Mobile Device Insight Blog. My curiousity found me installing the free AndroSensor app. By running this app I can see all the data my smartphone is collecting at this very instant. If you've granted access to lots and lots of apps to collect data about you, consider thinking twice. My own smartphone collects this data:

  • Location (GPS)
  • Accelerometer
  • Light
  • Magnetic Field
  • Orientation
  • Proxmity
  • Battery
  • Sound Level

The sensors included in "smart" phones will only increase in the future.

Screenshots from my phone (click to view at full size).

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